To weigh-in or not to weigh-in? That is the question.

I know just about every fitness professional will say that you should only weigh in once a week. I don’t personally subscribe to that theory. I like to peek every few days just to see how I’m doing. If the scale isn’t showing the expected result by Tuesday it actually pushes me to exercise more so that I have good news to report back after my official Friday weigh-in at the Y.

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Wayne Independent - Honesdale, PA

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Posted Feb. 26, 2013 at 12:00 AM

Posted Feb. 26, 2013 at 12:00 AM

I know just about every fitness professional will say that you should only weigh in once a week. I don’t personally subscribe to that theory. I like to peek every few days just to see how I’m doing. If the scale isn’t showing the expected result by Tuesday it actually pushes me to exercise more so that I have good news to report back after my official Friday weigh-in at the Y.

This week however, has been a rollercoaster ride.

I know that I’m retaining fluid. I can feel it and the scale at my house concurs. I’ve been drinking extra water, avoiding salt and trying to get in at least 30 minutes of activity each day to combat it.

I was down an ounce on Tuesday, up two pounds on Wednesday, down a pound on Thursday and down 4 ounces Friday morning. By Friday afternoon I was debating weighing in on Friday, pushing it to Saturday or skipping this week totally!

There is nothing more discouraging than a weight gain, even a temporary one if dieting. When you really are working hard and within a few, mere pounds of reaching your first goal it can be torture.

Anytime the numbers on the scale go up instead of down it can be devastating. I’ve been in this position in the past and cannot tell you how many times I (and so many others I know) have just thrown my hands up in the air and said “That’s it!”

We get mad. We get disgusted with ourselves. We get peeved at the world. The next thing you know you are going down the “It’s not fair” path en route to full blown self-pity and if you are someone who craves comfort food, you comfort yourself with those foods.

Before you know it, you‘re off plan, gaining weight and right back to where you were when you began or worse. It’s a vicious cycle and one that I am very familiar with.

In the end, I sucked it up and ran into the Y on my way home from the office Friday evening to find that I had actually lost .4lbs, bringing my WNM Challenge total up to 18.2! Persistence really does pay off!